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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. last — finally
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. hand — in cards
  11. club — for golf
  12. rash — a series
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. club — a group
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com